Lesvos and Chios for Traveling Students
Apr 30th, 2012, 11:47 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lesvos and Chios for Traveling Students
I am planning a trip with a group of university literature students in May - June 2013. We will be reading English and American authors' works on Greece and Turkey as we travel. We are going to spend a few days in Athens, but after that I'm not sure whether to take them to Izmir via Rhodes (where I know there are a lot of architectural and historical sites to visit) or via Lesvos and Chios (the ferry to Cesmes). I have looked at a number of guides and realize that Lesvos and Chios have a number of museums, castles, and antiquities to visit, but does anyone know whether those historical attractions are significant enough to engage our group for two or three days per island? Are there particular sites you would recommend, or are we better off taking the road more traveled to Rhodes?
Apr 30th, 2012, 12:28 PM
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,925
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On Lesvos, Mytilini has some interesting sites within walking distance from the harbour but they only took me half a day.
Likewise Chios.
I think if I were spending that much time per island I would go for Rhodes where there are several days' worth of sites.
And Izmir from where you can get to Bergama for a day or even Ephesus at a pinch.
Another thought is to go to Lesvos, across to Ayvalik, then up to Gallipoli/Troy. There are plenty of literary texts relating to those!
What a wonderful plan. You can't go wrong.
Likewise Chios.
I think if I were spending that much time per island I would go for Rhodes where there are several days' worth of sites.
And Izmir from where you can get to Bergama for a day or even Ephesus at a pinch.
Another thought is to go to Lesvos, across to Ayvalik, then up to Gallipoli/Troy. There are plenty of literary texts relating to those!
What a wonderful plan. You can't go wrong.
Apr 30th, 2012, 01:33 PM
#3
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,356
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lesvos is a very interesting island, and Lesvos is much more than Mytilini, the capital of the island.
It is the 3rd largest Greek island, after Crete and Euboea.
In Mytilini there is a new archaeological museum, a castle that dates back to the Byzantine emperor of Justinian and an ancient theatre, in the village of Moria there is a roman , and i should also mention the wonderful castle of Molyvos in the north of the island.
There is also the famous petrified forest in Sigri, and one can see some petrified trees even in Molyvos..
There are hot springs in Molyvos, Thermi, and also in Polychnitos and Lisvori.
Lesvos is famous for the great quality of it's olive oil, and for the famous ouzo, which comes from the small town of Plomari.
Most beautiful village is Molyvos in the north, some 70 m away from Mytilini. You could use Molyvos as your base and explore the rest of the island.
Agiassos is a quaint mountain village worth a visit, so are Petra ( near Molyvos) and the tiny but very beautiful Skala Sikaminias ( close to Molyvos as well, on the sea)
From Mytilini you can ferry to Ayvalik in Turkey, a very interesting city for Greeks, as it was a greek city until 1922.
You can still see all the old Greek houses and most Mosques i've seen there were converted Orthodox churches.
From Ayvalik you can visit Pergamos ( Bergama in turkish), a very interesting archaeological site, which is about an hour away.
Chios is very similar to Lesvos, i have been there only once , but there are enough places to see in a stay of 3 days.
Both islands are not touristy with beautiful old villages and especially on Lesvos you will see marvelous neoclassical houses in every village, and some wonderful houses in Varia, a suburb of Mytilini, where wealthy seamen were living.
It is the 3rd largest Greek island, after Crete and Euboea.
In Mytilini there is a new archaeological museum, a castle that dates back to the Byzantine emperor of Justinian and an ancient theatre, in the village of Moria there is a roman , and i should also mention the wonderful castle of Molyvos in the north of the island.
There is also the famous petrified forest in Sigri, and one can see some petrified trees even in Molyvos..
There are hot springs in Molyvos, Thermi, and also in Polychnitos and Lisvori.
Lesvos is famous for the great quality of it's olive oil, and for the famous ouzo, which comes from the small town of Plomari.
Most beautiful village is Molyvos in the north, some 70 m away from Mytilini. You could use Molyvos as your base and explore the rest of the island.
Agiassos is a quaint mountain village worth a visit, so are Petra ( near Molyvos) and the tiny but very beautiful Skala Sikaminias ( close to Molyvos as well, on the sea)
From Mytilini you can ferry to Ayvalik in Turkey, a very interesting city for Greeks, as it was a greek city until 1922.
You can still see all the old Greek houses and most Mosques i've seen there were converted Orthodox churches.
From Ayvalik you can visit Pergamos ( Bergama in turkish), a very interesting archaeological site, which is about an hour away.
Chios is very similar to Lesvos, i have been there only once , but there are enough places to see in a stay of 3 days.
Both islands are not touristy with beautiful old villages and especially on Lesvos you will see marvelous neoclassical houses in every village, and some wonderful houses in Varia, a suburb of Mytilini, where wealthy seamen were living.
May 2nd, 2012, 01:38 AM
#5
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rhodes does have numerous sites, but is more touristy, I found Rhodes Old Town fascinating (get away from the main squares), lots to see but can be swamped with additional tourists at times when cruise ships are in, the same goes for Lindos.
Some shots around Rhodes,
I much prefer Lesvos, as Clausar says, a large island & very diverse, arid & brown in the west, green & lush with pine forests in the south between the 2 gulfs & lots of olive trees & more familiar Greek landscape for the rest.
I don't know what gertie saw o the half day in Mytilini, but I could spend much more time there than that, the castle alone took us 3 hrs! It has 3 distinct periods in it's life & it's very well marked with info as you go round it. I have to agree with Clausar about some of the amazing houses in Varia, we stayed there a couple of nights on our visit & enjoyed walking round the area. You will have a hard time choosing what to see if you go to Lesvos!
Some photos from Lesvos covering varying areas of the island,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassas...7625192196112/
3 days is not much for any of the choices, Rhodes is more manageable because of size, but Lesvos & Chios will be less busy & have a much more traditional feel.
Some shots around Rhodes,
I much prefer Lesvos, as Clausar says, a large island & very diverse, arid & brown in the west, green & lush with pine forests in the south between the 2 gulfs & lots of olive trees & more familiar Greek landscape for the rest.
I don't know what gertie saw o the half day in Mytilini, but I could spend much more time there than that, the castle alone took us 3 hrs! It has 3 distinct periods in it's life & it's very well marked with info as you go round it. I have to agree with Clausar about some of the amazing houses in Varia, we stayed there a couple of nights on our visit & enjoyed walking round the area. You will have a hard time choosing what to see if you go to Lesvos!
Some photos from Lesvos covering varying areas of the island,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassas...7625192196112/
3 days is not much for any of the choices, Rhodes is more manageable because of size, but Lesvos & Chios will be less busy & have a much more traditional feel.
May 2nd, 2012, 01:43 AM
#6
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 574
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Posted too quickly, the link for the Rhodes shots is missing!
Here it is,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassas...7622599555575/
Here it is,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassas...7622599555575/
May 2nd, 2012, 02:35 AM
#7
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 2,356
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
yiassas, great pics as always...
Made me wanna go back to Lesvos... Glad to see that you have been to all the great places..and also glad to see that you love cats too !!!!
I've spent 8 months in Molyvos some time ago, and fell in love with the island....
Made me wanna go back to Lesvos... Glad to see that you have been to all the great places..and also glad to see that you love cats too !!!!
I've spent 8 months in Molyvos some time ago, and fell in love with the island....
May 3rd, 2012, 04:33 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Efharisto para poli, ylassas, for your comments and photos. Right now, we are again leaning toward Rhodes-Kos-Bodrum rather then Lesvos-Chios-Cesme, in part because of the greater reliability of the ferries on the former route, but also because Rhodes does seem to provide so much that we could see in one or two locations (e.g., Rhodes Town and Lindos).
